If yesterday seemed quiet it was probably because the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee was taking a breather

But the committee is back today for the second day of hearings on the government’s undergraduate funding bill. Thursday features industry, union and academy representatives, plus public and private sector VET lobby leaders.

No less than nine policy panjandrums from the Department of Education, Skills and Employment are on the menu, sorry witness list, for Labor senator Kim Carr.

And those wizards of wonkery, Andrew Norton and Mark Warburton will undoubtedly make clear how fiendishly complicated HE funding is.

The VCs of all three South Australia’s public universities are also on. While this is sure to set off another round of speculation of a uni-merger in Adelaide, CMM thinks there are two way-more likely reasons why they are there.

One is the collective smarts of Mike Brooks (Uni Adelaide interim VC), David Lloyd (Uni SA) and Colin Stirling (Flinders U).

The other is South Australian crossbench senator and committee member Rex Patrick is keen to hear expert advice.

As he asked Universities Australia representatives in Tuesday’s hearing; “I am not an education expert. I take advice from people who are experts. I would be grateful if you could assist me. If this bill was not amended, would you advise me to support it or to sit on the negative side of the chamber?”

Be interesting if Senator Patrick asks this question of the three and if he does what they reply.